Back in 2010, it was discovered that there are gamma-ray emitting shocks tracing out bubbles blown by our galaxy’s supermassive black hole (SMBH). At some point in the distant past, our SMBH consumed a bunch of who knows what and became temporarily active, and the magnetic fields associated with that activity spewed material out that blew bubbles in the material in the central bulge and beyond. 

An additional X-ray arc had been previously discovered earlier this year, but only on one side of the galaxy, in the direction we generally think of as up or north. Further observations, however, were able to find a matching feature below the galaxy. These X-ray arcs are symmetric with the gamma-ray bubbles, suggesting the features are connected. This work appears in the journal Nature in a study with lead author P. Predehl. 

This is just cool, and the idea that our galaxy has been blowing bubbles is the kind of science we all need in this year that shall not be named.

More Information

Science News article 

“Detection of large-scale X-ray bubbles in the Milky Way halo,” P. Predehl, R. A. Sunyaev, J. Wilms, 2020 December 9, Nature.